-Caveat Lector-
Begin forwarded message:
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: May 24, 2007 3:12:01 PM PDT
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Giuliani Claims Democrats Started the War in Iraq,
Republicans Have to Finish It
May 21, 2007, 6:39 pm
The Democrats' Drive to War?
By Marc Santora
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/21/a-democratic-drive-to-
war/
(Photo: CBS, via Associated Press)
In an appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman” that will
air later tonight, Rudolph W. Giuliani said he believes America
might have gone to war in Iraq even if George W. Bush had not been
President.
In response to a question from Mr. Letterman, Mr. Giuliani said
that at the time America went to war, there were “a lot of
Democrats who supported it” and initially praised the President for
his decision.
He continued: “It was the policy of the Clinton administration to
have a regime change in Iraq, so in a way, George Bush carried out
what Bill Clinton wanted to do but didn’t get the opportunity to
do. So who knows.”
The audience, which clearly was warm to the former mayor, applauded.
“Who knows – I don’t know,” Mr. Giuliani concluded, according to a
transcript provided by the Late Show. “I can’t tell you what would
have been if a different president were there.”
------------
Background:
Regime change in Iraq became a stated goal of United States foreign
policy when Public Law 105-338 (the "Iraq Liberation Act") was
signed into law by U.S. President Bill Clinton. The act directed that:
"It should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to
remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and
to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that
regime."
The Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 was passed by a 360-38 vote in the
House and unanimously in the Senate (and remember, we had a
Republican majority* in Congress). The Republicans underscored the
April 1993 assassination attempt on former President George HW Bush
during his visit to Kuwait.
This Act was cited by President Bush as "authorizing" US military
action in the Persian Gulf War.
The Iraq Liberation Act only authorized giving assistance to others
like the Kurdish Democratic Party in overthrowing Saddam. It
guaranteed that if the Iraqis should choose to overthrow Saddam
again, they would get our assistance. [Support for a coup
overthrowing Saddam goes back, jumping across Clinton, to the
Republican Administration of George HW Bush. Unfortunately, when
the Kurds and the Shiites rose up against Saddam, Saddam crushed
them and killed thousands and we just watched. George HW Bush knew
that in practical terms the US could not referee a sectarian civil
war without becoming occupiers.]
This Act, however, did not authorize US to invade Iraq. In fact,
the Act severely limited President Clinton's methods to remove
Saddam from power. It did not authorize Clinton to use military
force for this purpose. It was designed to aid Iraqi insurgents to
risk their own lives and take control of their own country.
However, On December 16, 1998, President Bill Clinton mandated
Operation Desert Fox, a major four-day bombing campaign on Iraqi
targets.
The Iraq Liberation Act of 1998:
http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/Legislation/ILA.htm
"Urges the President to call upon the United Nations to establish
an international criminal tribunal for the purpose of indicting,
prosecuting, and imprisoning Saddam Hussein and other Iraqi
officials who are responsible for crimes against humanity,
genocide, and other criminal violations of international law.
"Expresses the sense of the Congress that once the Saddam Hussein
regime is removed from power in Iraq, the United States should
support Iraq's transition to democracy by providing humanitarian
assistance to the Iraqi people and democracy transition assistance
to Iraqi parties and movements with democratic goals, including
convening Iraq's foreign creditors to develop a multilateral
response to the foreign debt incurred by the Hussein regime. "
The Act had strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives,
then controlled by Republicans. Republicans backed the bill by a 202-9
margin with 16 not voting. Democrats lined up behind the bill 157-29,
with 20 not voting. The House's sole Independent voted for H.R. 4655.
The Senate passed the Iraq Liberation Act by unanimous consent, a
Senate bill with the same language had been co-sponsored by six
Republicans and two Democrats, including Senator Joseph Lieberman
(Democrat of Connecticut) and then Senator John Ashcroft (Republican
of Missouri), later Attorney General.
In the House, those backing the bill included House Minority Leader
Representative Richard Gephardt (Democrat of Missouri), Speaker of the
House Dennis Hastert (Republican of Illinois), Representative Sheila
Jackson-Lee (Democrat of Texas) and Representative Constance Morella
(Republican of Maryland).
See what's free at AOL.com.
www.ctrl.org
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/
<A HREF="http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/";>ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
